INVESTIGATION OF INTRODUCTION WORK. 51 



the employment of these agents in the work of introducing the para- 

 sites of the gipsy moth and brown-tail moth. The arguments in 

 favor of this proposal were duly considered by the superintendent 

 of the Massachusetts work, who decided for many reasons to con- 

 duct the introduction experiments along the lines just described 

 and not to call in the assistance of the California people. In his 

 third report, submitted January 1, 1908, Mr. Kirkland expressed 

 the situation as follows: 



In spite of all the thought, energy, and skill that have been brought to bear on this 

 most important problem of introducing the natural enemies of the moths — a problem 

 entirely novel in the field of entomology — it was apparent during the winter of 1906-7 

 that several of our influential citizens had expected immediate results from the 

 importation of the parasites, and were beginning to get restive because such results 

 had not been obtained. Several expressed a doubt if everything possible was being 

 done to secure the successful introduction of the parasites. Others became enthusi- 

 astic over the specious proposition put forward by a certain western horticulturist 

 (not an entomologist), who offered to suppress the gipsy moth in Massachusetts by 

 means of parasites for the sum of $25,000, "no cure, no pay." This state of affairs 

 was no doubt a natural outcome of the desire to avoid a repetition of the great damage 

 to property caused by the moth in past years. Again, men without any technical 

 knowledge of entomology or of the life histories of the parasites, not realizing the diffi- 

 culties in securing, shipping, breeding, and disseminating these beneficial insects, 

 and equally ignorant of how long it takes an imported insect to become established 

 even under the most favorable conditions, might well be pardoned for expecting 

 almost immediate results from the introduction of the relatively small number of 

 parasites — small indeed in comparison with the tremendous numbers of the moths. 



Coming before the legislature during the session of 1906-7, this 

 group of Boston citizens stated that it was their opinion that the 

 work with parasites was not progressing with sufficient rapidity, and 

 asked the legislature to appropriate funds and to instruct the super- 

 intendent to secure additional counsel and advice in the matter to 

 determine whether the work was going on in the right way. The 

 legislature agreed and appropriated the additional sum of $15,000 to 

 enable the superintendent to secure such advice. 



It was first suggested that he consult only with certain California 

 men who had had experience in importing parasites of scale insects. 

 He, however, considered that consultation with men whose experi- 

 ence had been confined to a single group of insects, not to the same 

 group as the gipsy moth and the brown-tail moth, while possibly 

 helpful, would not be broad enough to throw any great light on 

 the Massachusetts problem. To use his own words — 



It seemed much wiser and certainly more thoroughgoing, since this entire work 

 might be called in question at any time, and in view of the large amount of money 

 Massachusetts was expending in securing parasites, to consult not with the trained 

 entomologists of a single State, but with as many entomologists of national or even 

 world-wide reputation as possible. In other words, that a large number of entomolo- 

 gists of the highest possible scientific standing, and particularly those having practical 

 experience in dealing with parasitic insects, should be invited to visit Massachusetts, 



